Fire on the Sands

2 - This is unexpected for you.

Rook: Look at you, feeding the birds.

Taash: My mother made me do it when I was young. Sent me out here every night with dinner scraps.

Rook: We’re a ways from town.

Taash: She said I had a lot of energy to burn off.

3 - Let me help.

Rook: Here, let me.

Taash: You gotta spread it out. Throw it out in a clump and they fight over it.

Rook: I know how to do it.

Taash: So do it.

4 - We could be relaxing.

Rook: You know, we could be drinking right now. Or sparring, or reading, or… whatever it is you do.

Taash: This is what I do.

5 - Scene continues.

Taash: Sometimes I practice with the fire out here. It’s safer. No people around. Lots of water.

Rook: Is it magic, or…?

Taash: It’s not magic. My mother says the Qunari used to be closer to dragons. Something in our blood.

Rook: The Antaam called you “adaari.”

Taash: Yeah. Old Qunari word for fire-breather. A few like me are born every generation. My mother thinks adaari were meant for something special. She’s always looking through the old texts for clues. Come on. Don’t want to scare the birds.

Taash heads off.

Taash: My mother left the Qun not far from here. She got herself transferred to Kont-aar from Par Vollen. Smuggled me there and then walked out.

Rook: I thought Kont-aar was well fortified. How did she escape with a child?

Taash: The Qun isn’t a prison. People can leave if they want.

They stop to feed more birds.

Rook feeds the birds	Rook scares the birds
Taash: You little guys hungry? + Taash Approves	Taash: Hey! - Taash Disapproves

Rook: Do you miss living under the Qun?

Taash: Not much to miss. I was a baby. My mother misses it. She was an ashkaari back then. A scholar.

Rook: Why’d she leave?

Taash: Me.

They keep walking to more birds.

Rook feeds the birds	Rook scares the birds
Taash: There’s enough for all of you. + Taash Approves	Taash: Don’t scare them! - Taash Disapproves

Taash: Shathann was worried about what the Qunari would do with a fire-breather like me.

Rook: What would they do?

Taash: She said they’d have put me in the Antaam. Used me as a berserker. The idea scared her enough that she left her library and walked away from the Qun.

If Rook wanders away.

Taash: Ready when you are.
Taash: You coming?
Taash: Over this way.

They find more birds.

Rook feeds the birds	Rook scares the birds
Taash: There you go. + Taash Approves	Taash: Be careful! - Taash Disapproves

Taash: Come on. Over here’s where I practice.

Rook: Why not on the beach?

Fed the birds	Scared the birds	Fed/Scared some birds
Taash: Don’t wanna scare the birds. We just fed ‘em.	Taash: You already scared the birds enough.	Taash: The birds just ate. Scare ‘em any more than you already did and they’ll be crapping everywhere.

Taash: There’s a good spot over here.

They walk down some stairs to find Antaam flags.

Taash: What the crap is that?

Rook: The Antaam must be marking their territory.

Taash: Not on my beach. Vash-vartaari. C’mon. These banners need to burn.

Taash burns the banners.

Rook: Nice. What does it feel like when you breathe fire like that?

Taash: It’s more like spitting.

Rook: Ew.

Taash: Something inside my throat opens up and lets stuff mix together. Then there’s this rush of heat as I roar it out.

Rook: I’m surprised it doesn’t hurt your mouth to do that.

Taash: It can. One time my tongue got in the way. Got a mouthful of fire.

Rook: Ouch.

Taash: Enh. Didn’t hurt much. My mother has to make food extra spicy so I can taste it.

Rook: I guess that’s the tradeoff for being a fire-breather.

Taash: It’s fine. I smell stuff better than most people.

They approach a metal gate.

Rook: An Antaam supply cache. Too bad it’s locked up.

Taash: Not for long. Watch.

Taash melts it.

Rook: Wow. It burned right through it.

Taash: Yep. Melts some metals. Not all.

Rook: How’d you figure out which kinds of metals you could melt?

Taash: My mother said I went through a lot of spoons as a baby.

They continue.

Taash: This way.

Rook: More birds to feed?

Taash: Something like that.

Karash

Taash: Karash! It’s Taash. I brought food.

Another Qunari joins them.

Karash: Evataash. It’s good you came early. The feather-clouds are getting lower. It’s going to rain. Who is this with you?

Taash: This is Rook. [They’re] a friend.

Karash: A friend. All right. Make sure you both dress for rain. Drip-rain, not mist-rain.

1 - Affable: Hello.

Rook: Nice to meet you.

Karash: And you.

2 - Sarcastic: Drip-rain?

Rook: What’s the difference between drip-rain and mist-rain?

Karash: Drip-rain soaks through the clothes. Mist-rain just wets the skin. Sorry. I don’t know all the words in your language.

Rook: No, I get it.

3 - Stoic: It’s rough out here.

Rook: No good being stuck in the rain. You gonna be okay?

Karash: My shelter is enough. It’s better for me than being inside.

4 - Scene continues.

Taash: Karash was a worker caste navigator. Got dragged along with the Antaam when they invaded.

Karash: They told us it was ordered by the Qun. I was not taught war. I was taught the weather. “Red clouds for thunder. Grey clouds for rain. Green clouds for the devouring storm.” And black clouds for the Antaam cannons. After what they did in Ventus, I ran away.

Dialogue options:

Affable: Do you need any help? [5]
Stoic: Watch yourself. [6]
Sad: I’m so sorry. Are you okay? [7]

5 - Affable: Do you need any help?

Rook: Is there anything you need? We saw that the Antaam were in the area.

Karash: Yes. I knew some of them from the dreadnought where I worked. I know places to hide. They did not see me.

Taash: Let me know if they give you trouble.

Scene continues. [8]

6 - Stoic: Watch yourself.

Rook: Be careful out here. We saw banners from Antaam patrols.

Karash: I saw them. They did not see me. I will stay safe.

Taash: Okay. Let me know if they bother you.

Scene continues. [8]

7 - Sad: I’m so sorry. Are you okay?

Rook: I’m sorry the Antaam did that to you.

Karash: I do not have my old life or work, but I remember who I am. The Antaam have lost even that.

Taash: You saw their banners? They’re in the area.

Karash: I will not be seen.

Taash: Okay. Let me know if they bother you.

Scene continues. [8]

8 - Scene continues.

Karash: I am at peace, Evataash. I have the clouds to watch and fish to eat.

Taash: More than just fish. Here you go. Shathann said to eat the fruit before it spoils.

Karash: I like the cookies better.

Taash: Everyone likes the cookies better.

Karash: I’ll eat the fruit. Thank you, Evataash.

Taash: Panahedan. I’ll see you soon.

Karash walks away.

Rook: So, the dragon hunter has a softer side.

Taash: The Qun says you take care of people.

Rook: So you’re a little Qunari, a little Rivaini, and a little dragon?

Taash: Yeah?

Dialogue options:

I understand that. [9]
(Point out strengths of living in different worlds.)
+ Taash Approves
That’s rough. [10]
(Point out challenges of living in different worlds.)
+ Taash Approves

9 - I understand that.

Rook: I get that.

Scene continues. [11]

10 - That’s rough.

Rook: Not always easy, is it?

Scene continues. [11]

11 - Scene continues.

Taash: Come on. I should tell my mother how Karash is doing.

Things Change

Encouraged Taash to embrace multiculturalism
Empathized with Taash on challenges of multiculturalism

Taash: So how do you get it?

Rook: I left my old life behind when I joined the Antivan Crows. Then I had to leave that to help stop Solas.

Rook: So you take what works from each part, right?

Taash: I… yeah.

Taash: So what’s not always easy?

Rook: I’ve been an orphan, an Antivan Crow, and now part of a team fighting elven gods. Just once, I’d like to be one thing, you know?

Mage	Non-Mage
Rook: I went from being a Nevarran street kid to a Mourn Watch mage… and now part of a team fighting elven gods. Just once, I’d like to be one thing, you know?	Rook: I went from being a Nevarran street kid to protecting the Veil with the Mourn Watch… and now helping a team fight elven gods. Just once, I’d like to be one thing, you know?

Mage	Non-Mage
Rook: I went from being a Tevinter nobody to a mage everyone bows to… and now part of a team fighting elven gods. Just once, I’d like to be one thing, you know?	Rook: I went from being a Tevinter nobody to a Shadow Dragon rebel… and now helping a team fight elven gods. Just once, I’d like to be one thing, you know?

Elf	Non-Elf
Rook: I’ve been a city elf living in an alienage, a Dalish elf living with my clan in the forest, and now part of a team fighting elven gods. Just once, I’d like to be one thing, you know?	Rook: People think of the Veil Jumpers as Dalish, but I’m not. I’m not even an elf. Just once, it’d be easier if I could be one thing fully instead of half of everything, you know?

Taash: Yeah.

Taash: I had to take Qunari language classes growing up. I had to learn how to tie these stupid knots. It wasn’t so bad when the Qunari and Rivain were at peace. Now the Antaam have broken from the Qun and started attacking. People look at me like they’re scared I’ll switch sides.

Rook: That’s their loss. People who’ve only ever been one thing will never know how big the world is.

Taash: Yeah? Maybe.

Shathann approaches them.

Taash: Mother. What are you doing here?

Shathann: You used to call me Tama.

Taash: I also used to wet the bed. Want me to start that up again?

Rook: I’d rather you didn’t.

Shathann looks unamused.

Dialogue options:

Affable: Wait. That sounded bad. [1]
Sarcastic: I can explain. At length. [2]
Stoic: Oh, relax. [3]

1 - Affable: Wait. That sounded bad.

Rook: Not that it’s my business. She’s not in my…

Shathann: She always did like the flustered ones.

2 - Sarcastic: I can explain. At length.

Rook: Because she’s sleeping in my base, which means I own the bed. I’m actually next on laundry detail.

Shathann: She always did like the mouthy ones.

3 - Stoic: Oh, relax.

Rook: You know what I meant.

Shathann: She always did like the grumpy ones.

4 - Scene continues.